Archie Bruce, the young Batley Bulldogs and Dewsbury Moor player whose death in France last weekend stunned Rugby League, will be remembered in a minute’s applause before the Coral Challenge Cup Final at Wembley on Saturday.
The minute’s applause, to celebrate his life, will be held before the crowd are invited to join in singing the traditional Cup Final anthem, Abide with Me.
It will be preceded by the Warners Champion Schools Final for Year 7 Boys, between Standish Community High School of Wigan, and Great Sankey High School – the first Warrington school to participate in the Steven Mullaney Memorial Match.
Those boys will then join a Pitch Parade also including all the participants from the London Rugby League Challenge Cup Primary RL Festival which is being staged at The Hive in Barnet on Saturday morning as part of Rugby League’s Sky Try programme – with 18 clubs taking part in Under-7s, Under-9s and Under-11s competitions (full list below).
Representatives of 19 of the community clubs, schools, colleges and Universities to have received CreatedBy funding as part of the 2021 Rugby League World Cup’s InspirationALL legacy programme will also be presented to the crowd (full details below).
Taylor Prescott is due to deliver the Challenge Cup Final match ball to the centre spot exactly as his father Steve did 10 years ago – after a gruelling overland journey from Perpignan, as part of the ongoing fund-raising efforts for the Steve Prescott Foundation in memory of the former St Helens, Hull and Wakefield Trinity full-back, and his inspirational defiance of a rare form of cancer. Taylor and a group of Steve’s former friends and teammates will run a half marathon from Uxbridge to Wembley on Saturday morning to complete their journey, after cycling thousands of miles through France and then rowing a dragon boat 26 miles down the River Thames. They will also join the pre-match Pitch Parade.
London Rugby League Challenge Cup Primary RL Festival – the following community clubs will be taking part at The Hive in Barnet on Saturday morning, as part of Rugby League’s Sky Try programme, and joining the Warners Champion Schools finalists in a pitch parade prior to the Coral Challenge Cup Final.
West Bank Bears
North West Counties
Bassetlaw Bulldogs RLFC
Midlands
Black Swans RLFC
Midlands
West Bowling
Yorkshire Junior League
Beverley Braves
Yorkshire Junior League
Batley Boys
Yorkshire Junior League
Eastern Rhinos
London Junior League
Brixton Bulls
London Junior League
New Ravens
Midlands
Elmbridge Eagles
London Junior League
Pilkington Recs
North West Counties
Moorfield
North West Counties
Richmond
London Junior League
London Skolars
London Junior League
Southampton Spitfires
London Junior League
Medway Dragons
London Junior League
Catterick Crusaders
North East Rugby League
Sussex Merlins
London Junior League
RLWC2021 CreatedBy – the following recipients of capital grants as part of the 2021 Rugby League World Cup’s InspirationALL legacy programme will be in attendance, and presented to the crowd:
Bank Quay Bulls Amateur Rugby League Football Club (Warrington)
Kings Langley School (Dacorum)
Aspatria Hornets Amateur Rugby League Football Club (Allerdale)
South Leeds Spartans Amateur Rugby League Football Club
Golborne High School (Wigan)
Cardinal Newman Catholic High School (Warrington)
Wigan St Judes Amateur Rugby League Football Club
Ashley High School (Widnes)
Richmond Rugby League Club
Salford Community Leisure Trust on behalf of Salford Roosters Amateur Rugby League Football Club
Castleford Tigers Women Development
Shevington Sharks Amateur Rugby League Football Club (Wigan)
Portico Vine Amateur Rugby League Football Club (St Helens)
Carmel College (St Helens)
Bassetlaw Bulldogs Rugby League Football Club (Nottingham)
Blackbrook Royals Juniors Rugby League Football Club (St Helens)
Drighlington Amateur Rugby League Football Club (Leeds)
Leeds University Union Women Rugby League
University of Manchester Rugby League